


Simple Pleasures

by madnessandbrilliance



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Developing Relationship, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, burning hearts zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26177098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnessandbrilliance/pseuds/madnessandbrilliance
Summary: “Well,” Galo scratches the back of his neck. His puppy takes this moment to lick his collarbone. “You kinda have to act like you’re considering buying one. But I’m always considering getting a dog, so that’s not hard!” He drops his hand and tilts his head at Lio curiously. “You really haven’t done this before? It’s one of life’s small pleasures, Varys says.”“I never really had time for small pleasures.”Galo doesn’t answer, so Lio turns back to the puppy in his arms, who settled down enough to fit comfortably in his lap. Lio likes how floppy it feels, the way it leans into his touch. Maybe he should get a dog.“Well,” Galo says suddenly. Lio looks up; he has a glint in his eye that makes the hairs on the back of Lio’s neck raise. “I know what we’re gonna do today!”__Or, Galo introduces Lio to some of the joys in life. (Written for Burning Hearts Zine)
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 17
Kudos: 207





	Simple Pleasures

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Super happy to finally post the complete (and extended) piece I wrote for the [Burning Hearts Zine](https://twitter.com/BurnHeartsZine).! The talent in this project was incomparable and the finished product left me with so much pride and love. I'm so eternally grateful I got to be part of this team and work with such amazing people. 
> 
> The [companion art piece](https://twitter.com/cyndachoo/status/1299775999396192258) is by the absolutely incredible [Tal](https://twitter.com/cyndachoo), who was my #1 supporter through the struggles of zine writing. Thank you so much Tal for your enthusiasm and the beautiful piece you drew for this! I also want to give thanks to the official and unofficial betas who not only helped me edit this down to the right word count for the zine, but also helped polish this final version: [Angie](https://twitter.com/stelllalights), [Jessie](https://twitter.com/parchmints), [Brigid](https://twitter.com/angst_in_space), and the one and only [Noble](https://twitter.com/noblegambit), you're all the best. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

It begins with a simple, innocent exchange––though Lio should know by now that nothing with Galo is ever “simple” or “innocent.”

They were kicked out of the Burning Rescue headquarters the moment they arrived because  _ everyone _ wanted them to take a day off. Lio doesn’t know what to  _ do _ on a day off, and apparently neither does Galo. They’ve been wandering, bored out of their minds, when Galo spots a pet store with puppies in the front window.

“Lio, look!”

__

Lio finds himself dragged by the elbow and positioned in front of the glass, face-to-face with big sleepy eyes and pink, lolling tongues. Next to him, Galo leans right up to the glass so that it fogs with his breath. He looks positively delighted. “We should go in and pet them!”

“Is that allowed?” Lio asks. There’s a decent crowd of people inside, and if he squints through the light reflecting on the window he thinks he can see small furry  _ things _ in their arms. When Galo doesn’t immediately answer, Lio turns to look at him.

Galo is looking at him in incredulous surprise, eyebrows high enough to disappear into his spiky bangs. “‘Course it’s allowed! Haven’t you gone into a pet shop just to play with the animals before?”

_ Obviously not _ , Lio is tempted to say. He settles for a blank stare. Galo knows immediately what it means, because it’s Galo and Lio hasn’t been able to hide anything from him since he’d left the firefighter tied up on a mountain cave floor.

“Right.” Galo nods, and suddenly he’s rolling his shoulders out with a look of determination he usually reserves for diving headfirst into burning buildings. “C’mon.”

Without letting Lio get another word in, Galo grabs him by a gloved hand and pulls him into the pet shop.

Lio is immediately assaulted by a very distinct smell: musty, a little bit damp, not  _ nice _ but not entirely unpleasant. Lio glances around as Galo drags them both to a uniformed woman with—is that a  _ python _ around her neck?

“Hi!” Galo is beaming so bright that Lio is surprised the woman doesn’t turn away from him. He sometimes gets that urge when Galo smiles at him. “We wanna pet your dogs!”

The shop is a veritable menagerie, and he’s too distracted to try and pay any attention to the conversation that begins when the woman responds. Lio takes in the many kennels lining the walls, the wire bird cages and transparent terrariums glowing with soft, warm light. A mound of puppies wriggle on top of each other in the kennel across the room. He turns his head and blinks at a small black kitten mewling at him from the kennel directly in front of him.

“C’mon," he hears again. Lio is tugged into a small enclosure with low-sitting walls. Galo practically shoves him down onto a bench, and it isn’t until Galo releases his hand and cool air rushes at his palm that Lio realizes they’d been holding hands since they entered the shop.

Which, you know. Isn’t unusual. Galo is a very physical person, and from the beginning their relationship they’ve had a lot of  _ contact _ , from fighting to being in an enclosed mecha pod to whatever  _ that _ had been in the core of the incomplete Prometech engine. He’s not unaccustomed to Galo pulling him along on one of his whims.

Still.

Lio is drawn out of his thought yet again as something small and dense and covered in soft hair is lowered in his lap. Galo is grinning again as the one of the puppies from the window clambers its way up to reach Lio’s face and leave warm, wet puppy-breath kisses all over Lio’s chin.

“ _ Ack _ , no, stop—”

“Isn’t it great?” Galo sighs happily. He has his own puppy in hand, and it whines as it tries to reach his mouth. “I love dogs. They’ve got burning souls, just like me!” Lio holds his own puppy back from his face. It pants at him, little paws scrambling at his wrists.

“I can see that,” Lio admits. There’s a similarity in the way the puppy seems to smile at him as it pants, and the grin on Galo’s face. He scratches the dog’s head, amused by the way it seems to flop over at the sensation. “I didn’t realize you could show up and do this.”

“Well,” Galo scratches the back of his neck. His puppy takes this moment to lick his collarbone. “You kinda have to act like you’re  _ considering _ buying one. But I’m always considering getting a dog, so that’s not hard!” He drops his hand and tilts his head at Lio curiously. “You really haven’t done this before? It’s one of life’s small pleasures, Varys says.”

“I never really had time for small pleasures.”

Lio doesn’t mean it in a self-pitying way. He’d accepted the lot he’d been dealt a long time ago, first as the only child of British aristocrats, then as a Burnish, then as the figurehead for Burnish rights. It was just how it had been. He’s experienced more fun in the past few months at Galo’s side than he has for many years of his life. Galo seems to frown anyways, an unusual seriousness in his eyes.

“Like. Nothing?” Lio shrugs. “Getting free samples at the grocery store?” A shake of his head. “Winning one of those skill games at a carnival?” Another shrug. “Buying a really good hot dog at a street cart?” Lio huffs a laugh at that.

“It’s not as though I could just walk up to a hot dog cart when I was a wanted fugitive.”

Galo doesn’t answer, so Lio turns back to the puppy in his arms, who settled down enough to fit comfortably in his lap. Lio likes how floppy it feels, the way it leans into his touch. Maybe he should get a dog.

“Well,” Galo says suddenly. Lio looks up; he has a glint in his eye that makes the hairs on the back of Lio’s neck raise. “I know what we’re gonna do today!”

__

“So, I actually tried to think about where we could go to get as much done as possible,” Galo explains twenty minutes later, his breath coming out in puffs as they arrive at the bus stop. They’d spent most of that time playing with the same two puppies, and in the end it had been Galo dragging  _ Lio _ away, with promises to return after their plans for the day. Galo bounces in place, before continuing, “and I think I got it. We’re gonna go to a fair!”

Lio lets out a quiet huff of fond exasperation. Galo grins in excitement. “It’s like,  _ ten _ birds with one stone! They have cotton candy and turkey legs, and roller coasters aren’t as awesome as being in Matoi tech but they still go WHOOSH—y’know?—and Remi says the games are rigged but—”

Galo babbles until the bus arrives and for ten minutes after they get on it. Lio might not’ve ever been to a fair, but Galo’s enthusiasm is contagious: by the time the long ride is over, he feels an itch of anticipation.

When they arrive, Galo insists on buying the tickets, as it’s Lio’s first time. Lio can’t help but concede to the pleased flutter in his stomach at the attention. 

“So,” Lio starts. “What do we do?”

Galo’s smile is rakish. “ _ Everything _ .”

__

Galo drags them to the food area first. Lio is struck by the smell of batter, grease, and meat, a combination he hadn’t expected to smell so appealing. He spots a sign for “fried oreos” and turns in the direction of that stand, only to have Galo grab him by the arm and tug him away.

“Food first,” Galo insists, ignoring Lio’s protests that he’s an adult and can eat dessert before lunch. He’s only placated by Galo’s promise that they’ll come back after the rollercoasters. 

Lio takes a look at the sign of the stand Galo brings them to. “So you were serious about the hot dogs.” 

“I’m a man of my word!” Galo shoves a thumb at his chest and puffs up in pride. Lio can’t help the quirk of his mouth. 

Galo orders them two hot dogs with everything on it, which makes Lio squint with suspicion, but any caution is immediately lost to shock as they get handed two foil wrapped monstrosities dripping with toppings. “This is the size of my head,” Lio gapes.

“Bigger, actually,” Galo responds cheerfully. 

He’s right, it  _ is _ bigger. Lio can’t finish it-- obviously not, no one could unless they were Galo or Varys and were practically bottomless pits of muscle-- but he certainly does try. It’s  _ good _ . Surprisingly so. He can’t even be distressed by how messy a meal it is, because Galo gets ketchup on his nose and, well. It’s kind of cute. 

Galo ends up finishing his hot dog and the rest of Lio’s ( _ how _ ?) and then throws their garbage away. He looks at Lio expectantly. “What’d you think?”

“It was… good.”

The word isn’t even out of Lio’s mouth before Galo is cackling and pumping his fist in triumph. “I knew it! Time for part two!”

He takes them to a roller coaster named “The Steel Eel,” a narrow, metallic contraption with a very questionably sturdy lap bar and copious high drops and sharp turns. Galo guffaws the entire time, whooping obnoxiously, while Lio remains silent all the way through until they get ushered off the walkway. When he turns to ask Lio what he thought, Lio interrupts him with a breathless, “Let’s go again.”

So they do. The roller coasters are a thrill, not quite like piloting a mecha thousands of feet above the ground, but the closest to soaring through the air on Burnish flames than Lio’s gotten in quite some time. Lio’s cheeks hurt from laughing, he’s certain he’s smiling harder than he has in… he doesn’t know how long. He could’ve ridden them all day—there are a few fun rides, but The Steel Eel might be his favorite—but Galo draws them away after two hours.

“We gotta get to part three,” he explains. Lio lets himself be pulled by the hand without thinking about it too much.

Part three is the carnival games. There are dozens—shooting games, throwing rings, basketball tosses—all surrounded by giant stuffed toy prizes. Galo takes him to one where you have to throw a ball at a moving target in order to win a prize. 

“We’re going to see if they’re rigged?” Lio asks. Galo swings his arms and cracks his neck.

“I’m gonna win you a prize,” he corrects. The matter-of-fact statement sends something skittering in Lio’s stomach. He turns and sucks on the inside of his cheek to will away the flush he knows is appearing.

“It had better be a big one,” he replies.

It takes ten tries. Galo gets increasingly worked up with each missed round, voice carrying his loud complaints and proclamations of impeding success across the other booths. 

“We knew it was rigged from the beginning,” Lio points out. Galo hurls a ball and it slams into the back wall of the booth with a resounding slam. He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead. 

“I know that!” Galo grunts, picking up another ball. “I’m gonna win it for you anyways!”

Lio stares as Galo lines up his shot. There’s a glint in his eyes Lio’s seen before, when Galo faces down fires or genocidal ex-heroes. It’s a glint of resolve that on anyone else would look crazy, but on Galo, fits. A look that says he won’t back down. When Lio first met Galo on the roof of a burning pharmaceutical building, it’d done nothing but frustrate him. Now as he watches Galo pull his arm back to throw his thirtieth ball of the evening, he can’t help but be charmed. 

BAM!

The ball slams into the target with a sound that makes Lio jump. Lio blinks when he doesn’t see the target continue moving along the booth. 

“ _ Yes _ !”

“You hit it,” Lio says, dumbfounded. Galo does an absurd victory dance as the booth owner sighs and asks them which prize they want. 

“‘Course I did!” Galo brags. He points at a large purple dragon and the booth owner hands it over disgruntledly. Galo gives it to Lio, who cradles it to his chest with wide eyes. 

“...I’m going to win you something,” Lio announces.

Galo lets out a startled chuckle. “What? You don’t have to --”

“I’m not doing it because I owe you anything. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Galo doesn’t have much to say to that as Lio drags them to an archery booth. When Lio glances back, Galo is staring at their joined hands, which is  _ stupid _ because Galo was the one taking Lio’s hand and dragging him everywhere earlier. Lio thrusts the dragon at Galo’s chest and buys a round of five arrows. 

Lio has always prided himself on being quick to pick skills up, and fortunately for him he’s been doing archery all his life. The first shot goes sharply right as he gets accustomed to the cheap bow he’s been handed. The next three sink into balloons almost shockingly fast. 

He doesn’t see Galo’s expression as he picks a large, stuffed Dalmatian with a red collar and exchanges the dragon in Galo’s hands for it. “The collar is ‘Burning Rescue Red’,” he points out and keeps his gaze to the fluffy spotted fabric in Galo’s arms. Galo is uncharacteristically quiet, so he risks glancing up to gauge his expression. 

Galo’s mouth quirks in a bashful smile, and he looks so pleased Lio can’t help but mirror the look. “Thanks,” Galo says, full of so much sincerity that Lio doesn’t bother waving his gratitude off.

“You’re welcome.”

As if that’s their cue to move, they both start walking away from the carnival games, back towards the rides. Lio carries the stuffed dragon in one hand, careful to not let it drag on the ground; his other seems to brush against Galo’s as they continue side by side. 

“I was thinking we could get you those fried Oreos,” Galo says. 

It’s getting dark, the lights of the fair blinking to life. If Lio had thought that the fair was bright during the day, it’s nothing compared to it at night. The lights cast a glow on Galo’s face that seems to illuminate him from the inside out. He’s always brimming with energy, sometimes to the point that everything about him seems alight, but at this moment everything feels quiet and simmering, like the warmth of glowing coals. 

It’s fascinating, Lio thinks, how someone as simple-minded as Galo can be so multifaceted. His dynamism is both unexpected and entirely in character. He went from fighting against the Burnish to fighting with them, with  _ Lio _ , because he felt it was the right thing to do. He protected the ex-Burnish from bigots who wanted to oppress them for something they hadn’t been able to control and no longer had. Galo Thymos had a knack for proving people wrong, and Lio is no exception. 

“That sounds good,” Lio responds. 

“Then,” Galo starts, pauses, and scratches the back of his neck. “There’s a part four I wouldn’t really want you to miss. Only if you want to, I mean.” 

Lio hums a bit to show he’s listening. 

“You ever been on a Ferris wheel?”

“I think you know the answer to that,” Lio responds dryly. Galo huffs a laugh. 

“Right. So… are you up for it?”

When Lio looks up at him, there’s another glint in his eye, but this one is more hopeful. He feels their hands brush again, and this time he twists his own hand so that he catches Galo’s in his own. Their fingers intertwine. 

“Yeah,” he says, as Galo’s eyes flick from their hands to his face before he tightens his grip around Lio. “I think I am.”

__ 

They hold hands through the fried Oreo line, even when holding his hot Oreo in one hand leaves powdered sugar all over Lio’s coat. Galo offers to let go more than once, to which Lio only responds by tightening his grip and taking a pointed bite of his Oreo. By the time they get to the front of the Ferris wheel line, Lio’s sure of two things: fried Oreos are one of the few things Americans ever got right, and holding Galo Thymos’ hand tingles with the most pleasant heat he’s felt since he could spontaneously combust on command. 

The attendant ushers them in to the passenger cart, and were Lio a lesser man he might have hesitated at the rickety metal and little railing between them and the night air. It sways as they get in, but Galo doesn’t hesitate so neither does he.

“How exactly does this work?” Lio asks, gently wiggling the protective bar in front of them. It jostles a little, but doesn’t unlatch. With a jerk, the wheel starts moving again.

“Usually we go around a few times before it stops so passengers can get on. Eventually we’ll be at the top so we can see the whole park.” Galo himself leans forward, resting his elbows on the bar. “It’s really nice at night, which is why the line was kinda long.” Lio watches as the usual burning eagerness in Galo’s eyes softens, until he appears more thoughtful than he’s ever seen him. There’s a gentle upturn of his mouth, a glint in his eyes from the reflection of the carnival lights, and Lio’s heart stutters in his chest. 

Galo suddenly turns to him. “Hey! What are you lookin’ at, you’re missing it!” The thoughtful look has disappeared into an incredulous pout that is no less endearing. Lio chuckles as he turns to face forward, only for it to die in his throat.

It was  _ beautiful _ . Thousands of sparkling lights twinkle below them like fireflies, and from this height the crowd-- thinned out over the course of the evening-- appear small and almost doll-like. Even the sky is lit up faintly with stars that mimic the glow of the carnival lights below. Although Lio has always felt some disdain at how few stars shine in the city compared to the sky in the desert, he can’t help but feel there might be some beauty now in this moment at the combination of manmade light and the natural sky. Or maybe it’s just the warm presence next to him that makes it seem so… romantic.

It’s not until his cheeks begin to hurt that Lio realizes that he’s smiling. It almost makes him want to stop, embarrassed by his open expression, but the moment of self-consciousness passes at the huff of fond laughter at his right. Instead he continues to drink in the scene hungrily. Different from the rollercoasters, it reminds him less of flying on jets of flame and more like sitting on the roof of the buildings of the settlement after a warm meal with the other Burnish. Peaceful. Hopeful. 

He’s drawn out of his thoughts by a large hand, gently tugging at his fingers where they grip the front bar of the carriage. Lio tears his eyes away from the carnival below and meets Galo’s gaze. There’s that uncharacteristically serious expression again, but there’s no fighting look, just a gentle fondness and firm determination.  _ What?  _ Lio almost asks, but finds himself knowing exactly  _ what _ , because he’s always sort of understood Galo the same way Galo seems to understand him, and there’s also very little else that the way Galo is leaning forward could mean. 

Their lips brush with a soft, gentle pressure. No one has ever touched Lio this gently before, and months ago he couldn’t have imagined it would be Galo Thymos doing it, but it  _ makes sense _ because Galo is loud and heavy handed and forceful, but he’s also kind and loving and intuitive, and of course he knows that this it what Lio needs in this moment. The kiss is feather-light but the warmth of it sends shivers down Lio’s spine, and Galo gives his hand a squeeze before pulling back. 

“That’s okay?” Galo asks, his cheeks red and brows furrowed in what might be concern or confusion. 

In response Lio leans in, and he doesn’t have to lean far before Galo dips his head and their lips meet again, more firmly this time with Lio leading the charge. Galo’s other hand comes up to cup the back of Lio’s head, so Lio brings his own hand to Galo’s cheek. This time when they pull away, Lio stays close, so that their noses touch and he can feel the heat of Galo’s blush on his own cheeks. 

“What do you think?” Lio asks. Galo hums a bit and brushes his nose against Lio’s. 

“I think,” he says, and Lio is already smiling at the renewed confidence in his tone, “that we gotta do part four right and kiss at the top. It’s tradition.”

Lio laughs and pulls back fully, ignoring the pout of protest from Galo. He takes in Galo’s flushed cheeks, his pink just-kissed mouth. “Did you bring me on the Ferris Wheel just for that?” 

“Of course not!” Galo exclaims, indignant. “I just thought you’d like the view! And I was right!”

It’s a little too much for Lio’s heart. “You were,” Lio agrees. “And okay.”

Anticipating Galo’s next question, Lio reaches out and enlaces their fingers. Galo’s mouth snaps shut as Lio leans over and kisses his cheek once. “Let’s do part four right, shall we?”

They very much do.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, give the official art post some love [here](https://twitter.com/cyndachoo/status/1299775999396192258).
> 
> If you enjoyed this, please check out some of my other [Promare work](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Bfandom_ids%5D%5B%5D=33778456&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&user_id=madnessandbrilliance), especially my current longest Promare oneshot, [cause in your warmth (I forget how cold it can be)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21534886). 
> 
> you can also (if you're interested) find me ranting about social injustices and posting writing snippets on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/sapphicsirena). 
> 
> And of course, please please p l e a s e comment, kudos, or share to support your local author :)


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